Thursday, July 28, 2011

SAVE THE DATE! Saturday, December 3, 2011!

The Exquisite Conversation:
An Adventure in Creating Books!
starring
Katherine Paterson
US National Ambassador for Young People's Literature
 M. T. Anderson   +   Natalie Babbitt
Susan Cooper   +   Steven Kellogg
Patricia MacLachlan
and a special surprise guest!

Brought to you by
and

This program is free and open to the public and will be held at the Kresge Auditorium on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

A book sale and autographing event will follow the presentation. 
Suggested audience: young adults and adults.

After the event, limited tickets will be available for a special Wine and Cheese Reception to benefit The National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance.

Check back here for more details in the coming months!

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is a national reading outreach project created by the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. Originally published on Read.gov, The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is being published by Candlewick Press in paperback, hardcover, and audio formats next month. To learn more about this innovative project and the free coordinating educational materials, click here.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Coming Soon to a Library and Bookstore Near You!

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure
A Progressive Story Game Played by
20 Celebrated Authors and Illustrators

It all starts with a train rushing through the night. . . . Well, actually, it starts when Jon Scieszka, former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, writes a cliff-hanger episode and passes it on to the next member of a cast of celebrated writers and illustrators, who continues the story and passes it on.
 
And what happens between episodes one and twenty-seven? Think werewolves and mad scientists, a talking pig, plenty of explosions, a blue Star Wars lunchbox, two meatballs, a whole army of villains and varmints, and one just plain bad egg. Not to mention our heroes, eleven-year-old twins Nancy and Joe, raised in a circus, who must find the pieces of a Top-Secret Robot in order to rescue their parents before . . . tick, tick, tick!
 

A collaboration between the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance and the
Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, The Exquisite Corpse Adventure originated as a national literacy outreach project for young people and helped launch the READ.gov website. 

Learn more about this innovative project and discover a wealth of coordinating activities and resources on the NCBLA's Exquisite Corpse Adventure Education Resource Center.

What Are Reviewers Saying?
“This book is about two kids from the circus whose parents are in another dimension. Only one thing can open the door between their two dimensions: the exquisite corpse. If you really want to know, the exquisite corpse is a robot - not a key. This book was awesome because each chapter had a different style of writing - like that game where one person starts a story and the next person continues it. I liked all of the chapters because the whole story continues a basic idea, yet it's kind of random. It's fun to figure out where the authors are leading you. On a scale of one to 10, I give The Exquisite Corpse an 11.”
-By Ty (8, almost 9) Cambridge, Massachusetts

“First run in installments on the Web, the pro bono project shifts tone and atmosphere with the author, from Lemony Snicket to Natalie Babbitt, from Linda Sue Park to Nikki Grimes, from Jon Scieszka to Jack Gantos—and who would have guessed that Katherine Paterson would be such a dab hand at egg puns?—but never goes off on self-indulgent tangents.”
Kirkus Reviews

Available from Candlewick Press
in hardcover, paperback, and audio formats this August.
 
Ask for
The Exquisite Corpse Adventure
at your local library or bookstore!

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Summer Travels: Visiting Presidential Birthplaces, Houses, and Libraries

The NCBLA's Field Trip Guides
Provide Helpful Hints for Planning and
Making the Most of Your Visit

When planning your summer outings and travels this summer, you can help your kids connect with American history by visiting a presidential site. More than twenty states boast presidential birthplaces, historic homes, libraries, and museums. The NCBLA's educational website OurWhiteHouse.org offers a comprehensive guide to finding these fabulous places, listed by state in "Field Trip Guide: Presidential Birthplaces, Houses, and Libraries."

If you are planning a trip to DC later this summer or sometime this fall, then a visit to the White House just might be at the top of your list. Keep in mind that although the general public is welcome to tour the White House, your visit must be planned a month in advance. Find all the information you need in "Field Trip Guide: Visiting the White House" on
OurWhiteHouse.org.

Read, Think, Act!
You can help young people dig deeper into America's past and think critically about the future using the NCBLA's art and literature anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out. The illustrations, essays, short stories, presidential letters, personal reflections, and historical accounts in Our White House inform and entertain, offering a window on more than 200 years of American history.  Our White House is available in both hardcover and paperback. The new paperback edition features a NEW poem by Nikki Grimes about President Obama’s inauguration! 
Complementing the book is the NCBLA's educational website OurWhiteHouse.org, which hosts a vast array of exclusive articles, primary sources, activities and discussion questions, and research resources. In addition to the field trip guides, be sure to check out "The Eloquence of 'Silent Cal'" by Katherine Paterson, "I Pledge Allegiance: Classroom Kit on Becoming an American Citizen" by Helen Kampion, "Presidents Are People Too" by Heather Lang, "A Taste of the Past: White House Kitchens, Menus, and Recipes" by Mary Brigid Barrett, and  "From White House Hostess to American Powerhouse: The Evolution of the First Lady's Title and Role" by Geri Zabela Eddins.

Friday, July 22, 2011

"Exquisite Corpse Adventure" Webcasts Available on Read.gov

Readers Theatre Production for 2011 Book Festival Written and Directed
by Katherine Paterson

Exquisite Corpse Adventure fans! Be sure to check out the webcasts of the NCBLA's presentations at the National Book Festival in 2009 and 2010 on Read.gov

The 2009 presentation featured a panel discussion hosted by Mary Brigid Barrett with Team Corpse members:  Kate DiCamillo, Nikki Grimes, Shannon Hale, Steven Kellogg, Megan McDonald, and Jon Scieszka. Watch this video and learn how storytelling played a daily role in Megan McDonald's family as she grew up...and hear the poignant story of how libraries saved Nikki Grimes.

The 2010 presentation featured a dramatic readers theatre production of the final episode of The Exquisite Corpse Adventure written and directed by National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Katherine Paterson! On stage with Paterson were: M. T. Anderson, Mary Brigid Barrett, John Cole, Timothy Basil Ering, Linda Sue Park, and James Ransome.

WHAT will the NCBLA do at THIS YEAR'S National Book Festival?! WHO will be participating?! Plan to attend Saturday, September 24 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C and find out! For more information about this year's book festival, visit LOC.gov/bookfest.

What Is The Exquisite Corpse Adventure?
The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is a national reading and writing outreach project created by the NCBLA and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is a progressive story game just like the one many families play on road trips, at camps, at parties, at home when there is a power outage. It is a game where one person begins a story, stops at a cliffhanging moment, and the next person picks it up, continuing on until everyone in the group has the opportunity to contribute. 
Contributors to The Exquisite Corpse include some of the most gifted artists and writers in our nation:  M.T. Anderson, Natalie Babbitt, Calef Brown, Susan Cooper, Kate Di Camillo, Timothy Basil Ering, Jack Gantos, Nikki Grimes, Shannon Hale, Lemony Snicket, Steven Kellogg, Gregory Maguire, Megan McDonald, Patricia and Fredrick McKissack, Linda Sue Park, Katherine Paterson, James Ransome, Jon Scieszka, and Chris Van Dusen.
Coming Soon to a Library and Bookstore Near You!
Originally published on Read.gov,  The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is being published by Candlewick Press next month in paperback, hardcover, and audio formats.
Coordinating educational enrichment activities are available on the NCBLA Education Resource Center and include annotated booklists, classroom activities, art appreciation activities, discussion questions, and more!

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Keep Kids Reading This Summer with Books That Appeal to Their Interests

Themed Reading Lists Go Beyond
What's Required

Once your kids have conquered their school-supplied list of books for the summer, keep them reading with books about subjects they love. But how do you do that?! One great way is to ask the librarian in your local library. Another way is to check out the variety of themed reading lists available on the web.

Does your 4-year old get a kick out of going to the petting zoo? There's a list for that! Is your 14-year old completely fascinated by World War Two? There's a list for that! Take a few minutes and browse the following lists available from such authoritative sources as the NCBLA, Reading Rockets,  AdLit.org, The Horn Book, and The New York Times.

The "Parent & Guardian Handbook" on thencbla.org features not only a list of reliable articles to help you develop life-long readers, but also themed reading lists such as American Heroes, Baseball, and Fantasy Beyond Harry Potter.  

The "Recommended Books for Kids" page on  ReadingRockets.org includes DOZENS of themed lists created by expert children's librarian Maria Salvadore. Here you'll find lists of books about bugs, holidays, art, monsters, and even the tooth fairy.

The "Great Books for Teens" page on AdLit.org offers themed lists for adolescents, that include such topics as Air & Space, dragons, Poetry, World War, and Romance & Relationships.

The New York Times Children's Book column reviews groups of books for children through young adult by subject. Be sure to check out the "bookshelves" titled America, Farm, and Growing Up

The Horn Book's "Recommend Books" page includes diverse lists, such as ghost stories, love stories, world religions, astronomy, and sports books.

If you could use a bit more help to get your kids to pick up a book, check out the following articles for helpful advice: "Hooking Struggling Readers: Using Books They Can and Want to Read" by Lori Rog and Paul Kropp and"Getting Your Teens and Tweens Reading This Summer!" by Mary Brigid Barrett.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Macy's "Be Book Smart" Program Supports RIF

Macy's-RIF Partnership Offers Win-Win Program for Consumers and Kids Who Need Books

Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) has partnered with Macy’s to create Be Book Smart, a national partnership to raise awareness and support of children’s literacy. This effort will help RIF provide free books and literacy resources to children nationwide, while expanding RIF’s outreach to the children at greatest risk for developing reading difficulties. This campaign provides an opportunity for Macy’s customers to join the effort and have an impact on literacy in their community.  

Through July 31, 2011, Macy’s customers can give $3 to provide a book for a child and receive a coupon for $10 off a $50 in-store purchase at any Macy’s nationwide. Macy’s will give 100% of every $3 to RIF to help reach our goal of giving 1 million books to kids. 

RIF’s Impact
With more than 17,000 program locations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories, RIF is making a difference for millions of children. A recent analysis of reading research confirmed the impact of RIF's core mission—that simply improving access to books improves children’s reading performance, helps children learn the basics of reading, results in children reading more and for longer lengths of time, and improves children's attitudes toward reading and learning.  You can review the summaries  of the critical literacy issues and RIF's quick reference guide of recent literacy statistics, both of which illustrate the challenges RIF faces in creating a literate America, at RIF.org

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Activities for Home, Library, and Classroom Available for "The Exquisite Corpse Adventure"

Butler Children's Literature Center Experts Developed Engaging Activities
for Every Episode
Originally published on the Library of Congress’ Read.gov website---and soon to be published in hardcover, paperback, and audio formats by Candlewick Press!---The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is a progressive story game in which one person begins a story, stops at a cliff-hanging moment, and the next person picks it up and continues until everyone in the group has the opportunity to contribute.  The Exquisite Corpse Adventure was created as a national reading outreach project by the NCBLA and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.
The Exquisite Corpse Adventure was played by some of America's most gifted artists and storytellers: M.T. Anderson, Natalie Babbitt, Calef Brown, Susan Cooper, Kate Di Camillo, Timothy Basil Ering, Jack Gantos, Nikki Grimes, Shannon Hale, Lemony Snicket, Steven Kellogg, Gregory Maguire, Megan McDonald, Patricia and Fredrick McKissack, Linda Sue Park, Katherine Paterson, James Ransome, Jon Scieszka, and Chris Van Dusen.
 
Extensive Education Resources Available!
Extending the educational impact of The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is the NCBLA's Education Resource Center, which contains a treasure trove of resources and articles, as well as activities, discussion questions, and art appreciation ideas, as well as a “read more about it” annotated bibliography for each and every episode! 
Developing the activities for home and classroom for each episode were the talented faculty and students at the Butler Children’s Literature Center at Dominican University. Many of these activities can be used not only for The Exquisite Corpse Adventure, but for other literary works as well. We invite you to take a look and use these free resources in any you can.

Sample Activity: Episode 2
Here is a sample of the activity created for Episode 2 by Marilyn Ludolph, Ed.D, Dominican University School of Education:
 
Elements of Story
Episode Two of The Exquisite Corpse Adventure introduces the reader to a new character, a villain in the story. The interaction between the protagonists (a.k.a. the heroes of the story; Nancy and Joe) and the villain (Boppo the Clown), in this chapter heighten the suspense and provide a great deal of action on the part of all three characters. 

Generally, stories contain five elements: introduction, plot, climax, resolution, and denouement.  It is important to track, as the Adventure unfolds, where in the episodes, the elements reside.

The introduction is where the characters are introduced, setting is established, and the plot might be set up.

Plot is when events start to occur and trouble might begin to brew and a situation is exposed.

Climax is when the real excitement occurs and the reader might be left hanging.

Resolution is the series of events following the climax. The resolution is also oftentimes referred to as “falling action.”

Denouement is when the events are wrapped up and the final fate of the characters is established. 

Be sure to check out ALL the activities and resources available on The Exquisite Corpse Adventure Companion Education Resource Center!

Illustration at top right by James Ransome (c) 2010.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Summer Reading Suggestions!

Explore the Grandeur of America Through Stories and Picture Books

Whether your summer travels are local or international, take some time to experience the magic of America's National Parks in the pages of engaging books that take young readers deep into the redwood forest and up high in the mountains of Yellowstone. For a list of recommendations, check out the Books About Our National Parks list on ReadingRockets.org.

 
To learn about President Theodore Roosevelt's role in preserving America's wilderness, read  the article "Executive Order for Nature" by Jean Craighead George in the NCBLA's extensive art and literature anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out. And be sure to take a look at the coordinating illustration "America's Wilderness" by David Slonim. Our White House is available in both hardcover and paperback. Ask for it at a bookstore and library near you!

To learn more about America's national parks, visit www.nps.gov, where you can use the search tool to discover which national parks are near you.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Best Websites for Teaching and Learning Announced

AASL Announces 2011 Best Websites for Teaching and Learning

At the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2011 Annual Conference in New Orleans, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced the 2011 Top 25 Websites for Teaching and Learning. In its third year, the list of websites honors the top 25 Internet sites for enhancing learning and curriculum development for school librarians and their teacher collaborators. The list is considered the "best of the best" by AASL.

The Top 25 Websites for Teaching and Learning were named so because they foster the qualities of innovation, creativity, active participation and collaboration. The websites honored include: Aviary, CK-12 Flexbooks, Conduit, Digital Vaults, Dipity, Edistorm, Edmodo, Exploratorium, Geocube, iCyte, i-Earn, i-nigma QR codes, Kerpoof, Khan Academy, Lingt Language, Microsoft Tag Codes, Myths and Legends, Nota, PicLits, SpicyNodes, Symbaloo, Tagxedo, Yolink Education, You Are What You Read and ZooBurst.

These websites are creative, innovative and fun — and the most important—  they support the integration of  21st century skills into the curriculum,” explains Pam Berger,  committee chair. “Together with the two previous year's winners, educators have  an effective, high quality toolbox of Web 2.0 tools to support inquiry learning and the AASL Standards for the 21 St Century Learner.”

The Top 25 are free, web-based sites that are user-friendly and encourage a community of learners to explore and discover. They also provide a foundation to support AASL's Standards for the 21st-Century Learner. The sites offer tools and resources in content collaboration, content resources with lesson plans, curriculum sharing, digital storytelling, managing and organizing and social networking and communication. Each website is linked to one or more of the four strands of the Standards for the 21st-Century Learner – skills, dispositions in action, responsibilities and self-assessment strategies.

Updated annually, the Top 25 Websites is based on feedback and nominations from AASL members. School librarians can nominate their most used Web sites on the AASL website nomination form.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

The Illustrations of "The Exquisite Corpse Adventure" Now Available in Online Gallery

Illustrations Created by Calef Brown, Timothy Basil Ering, Steven Kellogg, James Ransome, and Chris Van Dusen for All 27 Episodes of
The Exquisite Corpse Adventure

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is a national reading outreach project jointly sponsored by the NCBLA and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. Originally published on the Library of Congress’ Read.gov website---and soon to be published in hardcover, paperback, and audio formats by Candlewick Press!---The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is a buoyant, spontaneous experiment; a progressive story game just like the one many families play on road trips and at home when there is a power outage and kids play at camps and parties. It is a game in which one person begins a story, stops at a cliff-hanging moment, and the next person picks it up and continues until everyone in the group has the opportunity to contribute.  

Each episode is sumptuously illustrated by one of The Exquisite Corpse Adventure contributors  (Calef Brown, Timothy Basil Ering, Steven Kellogg, James Ransome, and Chris Van Dusen), each of whom took turns creating the illustration for their assigned episodes in true exquisite corpse style--without looking at what their colleagues had created for previous episodes.

Here is what Chris Van Dusen has said about painting illustrations for The Exquisite Corpse Adventure:

All of my illustrations are painted in gouache (rhymes with "squash") which is kind of like an opaque watercolor. I paint on illustration board and I usually start with the background and work my way to the foreground. Since the writing is so wonderfully wacky in "The Exquisite Corpse Adventure" there are several images which would make great illustrations. Still, I choose my subjects carefully. I want to intrigue the reader with the illustration as I hopefully did in Episode 1. For this piece, I decided to lead off with a real (literally!) cliff-hanger.”

Chris painted the dramatic illustration for Episode 1, pictured here at top right.
To maximize the educational impact of The Exquisite Corpse Adventure, the NCBLA partnered with the Butler Children’s Literature Center at Dominican University to create an online Education Resource Center complete with supplemental articles, classroom activities, bibliographies, art activities, discussion questions, and more!

Included in the Education Resource Center are extensive "Talk Art!" appreciation activities and discussion questions created by Mary Brigid Barrett for Episodes 1 through 19. (The activities for Episodes 20 - 27 are coming soon!) Here is a sample of the "Talk Art!" activity for Episode 1:

Draw four horizontal rectangles on the board or on a large sheet of paper. In the first rectangle, draw a long somewhat straight horizontal line that contacts the left and right side of the rectangle. In the second rectangle draw a horizontal softly wavy line that contacts the left and right side of the rectangle. In that third rectangle draw a straight diagonal line from a bit above the bottom  left corner to a bit below the top right corner. In the last rectangle draw a jagged diagonal line—like a lightning bolt— from a bit above the bottom  left corner to a bit below the top right corner.

Talk about the line drawing in each rectangle—does the simple drawn line evoke any emotional response?  Ask them which drawn line in that rectangular space makes them feel safe? Do any of the lines make them feel calm or even at peace? Which two lines are restful? Which two lines are more exciting? Is there a line that looks almost dangerous? WHY? Then ask them if these were realistic drawings, simple landscape panoramas they might encounter in real life, what landscapes come to mind? Why do certain landscapes like a pasture and big sky, or a view looking out over the soft rolling waves of a lake or ocean make us feel calm, relaxed, even safe and secure?  Ask them what real landscapes come to mind looking at the two diagonal lines.  Why do diagonals of any kind bring out a more energized emotion—especially jagged diagonals?

Be sure to take a look at ALL the illustrations created for The Exquisite Corpse Adventure in the gallery of illustrations on the facebook page of The National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Share a Story This Fourth of July

Article on OurWhiteHouse.org Profiles Origins of "The Star-Spangled Banner"

Try your luck at a few trivia questions about our national anthem: Do you know what battle inspired the writing of "The Star-Spangled Banner?" Did you know our national anthem was originally given a different title? Why is the "The Star-Spangled Banner" played at baseball games?

You can learn the answers to these questions and more in the article "Star-Spangled Presidents" by Helen Kampion on OurWhiteHouse.org. On this fourth of July, why not take a few moments today to share the dramatic story of our national anthem' history with the young people in your life? 

While visiting OurWhiteHouse.org, be sure to check out the vast array of other articles, resources, and activities that help young people connect with American history. And be sure to ask for the art and literature anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out at a library or bookstore near you.